Independent Kerala MLA PC George on Sunday broke the vehicle barrier at Paliyekkara toll plaza in Thrissur on Monday evening, for having been made to wait for over three minutes.
The CCTV footage of the incident, that has since gone viral, shows an angry MLA exiting his Audi car near the toll gate and, in a fit of rage, breaking the automatic boom barrier of the plaza. The footage also shows the MLA's driver and other men arguing with the toll authorities and pointing fingers at them in a threatening manner. After the incident, the group drove away from the toll plaza.
The toll authorities informed the police about the incident. They reportedly said the MLA lost his cool for being asked to pay the toll fee. They even added that the person at the booth failed to recognise the MLA.
However, justifying his action, PC George in an interview to NDTV said that the authorities were well aware that MLAs need not pay the toll. He stated that the man at the toll gate had seen his car with the MLA sticker on it and was aware of their right to a quick passage.
"I was very irritiated when the car behind me started honking. And this person (at the toll booth) is playing the fool without letting me go. I would break the gate again if it it happens," PC George told Manorama News.
George even said that he didn’t mind paying the toll fee. However, justifying his act, he said toll authorities made him wait for three-and-a-half minutes when he had to urgently catch a train. It was only after this and once people started honking that he had no option but to break to toll gate and drive past the plaza.
He added that by virtue of being a lawmaker, he had a right to a quick passage which he was being denied.
Watch! Talk about power! #Kerala MLA #PCGeorge gets angry breaks barricade at toll plaza in Thrissur. His aides take cur, and continue the vandalism before driving away! MLA tells @ndtv, this because, he had to wait for 3 whole minutes with no one attending to him!! pic.twitter.com/BKJ7MVbBah
— Sneha Koshy (@SnehaMKoshy) July 18, 2018